Someone To Look Up To
by Poppin' Roxin
Summary: Uchiha Sasuke had been bullied, tortured, and taunted daily because he wanted that life. But when his cousin needs his help, he sheds his facade and fights back, wanting to become her role-model. Just when he thought he was content, life proved him wrong.
1. i: Under That Mask

_Ughh, I was getting bored of waiting for the documents to be transferred on my new computer (WHICH I DON'T EVEN HAVE YET) so I decided to write a new story on this laptop just to save some time. This story plot and another one that I'll update soon have been on my mind for quite (OMG, for some reason, the computer suggested quick-fuck for completing the word quite DX) a while. This one was the newest one when I was reading a fanfic about Sasuke being bullied and Sakura, not necessarily being the bully, but underestimating him. I go through this whole process in my mind where I get excited about what'll happen next, so I put the story down and just imagine. This came to mind when I wanted Sasuke to stop being misunderstood._

_I really don't get why people just torture Sasuke in their stories. (I mostly mean stories that aren't AU, but there are some AU fics where Sasuke is a freakin' douche and he is tortured -_-). Sometimes, it just makes me mad. DX Seriously, I know he's a jerk, but that's because of his past. You can't control your past. And he's pushing people away because he subconciously doesn't want to get hurt, and now he's psycho because all you people torture him in your stories. DX Jk. only applies to people who make Sasuke a total fapping jerk and then just crush his whole pride. Sure, I like some stories like that, but if half the stories have that concept, it's just... ugh._

_Anyway, onto a happier topic :3_

_Here's the new story!_

_Hope you like it!_

**Summary: **Uchiha Sasuke had always been labelled as the nerd. Bullied, tortured, taunted daily, because he wanted that life. But when his little cousin needs his help, he sheds his facade and fights back, wanting to become her role-model. Just when he thought he was content, his bully and old life shatter that peace.

**Inspired by: Welcome to the Real World! By boredyetinspiredartist. One of my fav stories. ever. X3. even if Sasuke is tortured, which i like in this instance. :)**

**Dedicated to: **Japan. Pray for Japan. They need our help now more than ever. And xena-chan because of our awesome convos:)

**Disclaimer: I never owned Naruto now, what makes you think I'll own it now? Seriously.**

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_Someone to Look UP to_

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_Chapter 1:_

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At the crack of dawn, a loud blaring noise echoed in a tidy room as a lean body stiffened on instinct, literally throwing himself out of bed to slam his palm down on the shreiking alarm clock that was all the way across the room. Groaning, the dark haired boy stretched as the blood rushed to his head as a result of moving so quickly just as he woke up. He sighed as he glanced at the time, grumbling incoherently to himself.

_6:41 AM. _Early like all the other days.

For a moment, he merely stood there as he waited for his brain to process before he scooped the blanket that had managed to cling to his form and fall on the floor, tossing it neatly on his large bed. Although he was a bit grumpy, he had cleverly decided to plug in his alarm clock far away from him, knowing that he would fall asleep again if it were near his head. Humming a familiar tune to himself lowly, he neatly flapped the cloth in the air and patiently waited as it hovered down to his mattress. Quickly, he flattened it, throwing his pillows up as he fixed the creases, then catching them in time to pile them at the head of the bed. Within less than a minute, his bed was made.

Still shaking out some of the sleepiness out of his eyes, he sauntered over to his master bathroom, the tile cool against his hot feet. Once near, he twisted the knob as the water splashed on the walls and stared at himself in the mirror as he waited for the liquid to warm.

His long, dark hair was in a disarray, spiking at the back and ends as he hadn't wet it and used mousse yet. Stoic onyx eyes peered back right into his soul, tired and singing a melancholy song that made his own scarred heart cry. He wasn't wearing a shirt as he didn't sleep with one on, so his muscular body was out for all eyes to see—although most avoided him since they didn't know—and the defined six-pack reminded him everyday who he really was. His boxers were clinging to his skinny body just barely, but at this point he didn't really care. Shrugging his broad shoulders near his neck, he stretched those muscles too before he saw that the mirror was fogging up.

Shedding his one and only article of clothing, he embraced the warm, cascading feeling the water gave him as it splashed onto his body.

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Sasuke slipped on his white dress shirt, making sure that he buttoned it all the way to his collar and tucking it into his black pants before he closed his brown belt. He eyed the way his hair stood up naturally and immediately went searching for the mousse. His hair was naturally spiky and messy, and even the mousse and all the hair products he used didn't have it slicked down for long. The Uchiha had to use mousse during school at least three times a day, and luckily none of the guys had caught him using it yet.

Once he spotted the can, he pushed down the button and observed the way the foam came out of the can. He felt childish when nostalgic glee built up in his chest as a large amount of foam was sprayed into his hands, and he remembered when he used to play with his mom with foam soap at a young age, both of them giggling as they both had white on their noses... At the memory, Sasuke squeezed his eyes shut painfully before he slicked it all over his long shoulder-blade length hair. When he saw that the white disolved into his hair, he wiped his greasy hands on a nearby wash-cloth and reached for a scrunchie, letting go of the band with a _snap _as he stared at his form in the mirror. Something was missing.

Black dress pants, check.

White dress shirt—tucked into pants and buttoned all the way, check.

Dress shoes, check.

Very, _very _tacky and colorful tie, check.

Pocket protector, check.

Schoolbag with all materials, check.

He pulled out a small case, snapping it open. Dark, thick-rimmed glasses laid inside, like a small gold coin in a jewelry box. Sasuke pushed them onto his face, the bridge settling on his nose quietly.

He took a few steps back and scrutinized his appearance, nodding in approval.

The perfect image of a nerd.

Slinging his bag on his shoulder, he flipped his phone out and checked the time. _7:27 AM._

He had plenty of time to get to school, but what kind of nerd doesn't go early?, he mused.

So, he quickly trotted out the long, echoing hallway of his house before reaching the kitchen. Within four minutes, he had a steaming, hot omelet on his plate with ketchup on the side. In two, the dishes were clean and put away. And after five, he was at the bus stop, boarding an early bus to school.

And he was somewhat relieved to get away from that empty, quiet house.

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"TEME!" A blaring voice shouted as soon as he made it within five meters of the school, an orange-wearing blonde dashing over to Sasuke as he glanced up, and the dark-haired boy bit his lip so that the insult "dobe" wouldn't fly out of his lips. Eyes skittered over to them as a result of Naruto's loud voice, and people murmured under their breath, but Sasuke ignored them. Smiling shyly as the energetic boy slowed down to his side, he greeted quietly, "Morning, Naruto-san."

"Oi," The blonde panted and smacked Sasuke on the shoulders—forcing the Uchiha to wince—pouting. "Drop the suffix! We're friends!"

"Actually," Sasuke smiled—feeling so _fakefakefake—_with a sheepish tone. "I don't know if that's possible because of our social statuses."

The popular blonde snorted. "Screw social statuses, man!" Naruto draped an arm around his head, making Sasuke's smile even more strained before—he _hated _it when people touched him for no reason. But then again, Naruto _was _his friend...

But then again, this was why there were rumors that he was gay because of things like this.

"I bet we could change your image," Naruto rambled on, as usual, but this topic always made Sasuke pale. "And then we can be better friends when you become popular and stop complaining about me being too popular and you being too nerdy. Because, seriously! You're not that nerdy! We should do that someday, I bet I could get Ino or Tenten to get—"

"Thank you for your offer, Naruto," Sasuke dropped the suffix just to sway Naruto and change the subject. "But I'm okay, really. Any girl that doesn't like me for just looking like a nerd is shallow, anyway."

"Yeahhh," Naruto furrowed his brows as the two entered the schools, the people staring at them with beady eyes and Sasuke slunk a little. "I guess." Suddenly, the blonde seemed sympathetic. "By the way... has Sakura been... treating you, uh... well?"

Sasuke frowned at the mention of her name. She was the bane existence of his pain and confusion, sometimes acting like he was her pet or even close friend, and at other times causing him humiliation and physical pain just because she was bored. Haruno Sakura confused him greatly. She was a part of Naruto's "popular" group, but she was notoriously known for being bullied when she was young, and now bullying other people. It seemed that ever since he moved here, she had immediately stuck to him and started breathing down his neck, making him involuntarily twitch everytime.

There were times when she pranked him harshly, such as scattering his school materials, bookbag and coat into the girls' bathroom all across the school. He remembered that time, and Naruto had helped him find his stuff without getting caught, sheepishly apologizing for his friend's behavior whicih Sasuke shrugged off. She taunted him, sometimes physically hurt him.

But, there were also times when she would treat him almost fairly. Sometimes she would go right up to him and just hug him in greeting, asking him to carry her books for her in a polite manner—of course, he had to comply in fear of her mean right hook. She would talk to him in a civil way, without snapping at him or giving him a mean look. Sakura would usually ask how his day was so far, how he was, how his family was doing—

He always went quiet at that question.

But that wasn't the point.

The point was she confused him so much with her weird mood swings and indecisive personality that he made it his goal to avoid her as much as humanly possible-without looking like he was, anyway. If he was so much as suspected as evading her advances, she would most likely give him a piece of her mind... using toilets and garbage cans (and as cliche as it sounded, it was definitely not something to underestimate as a punishment. Have you ever been thrown into a garbage can? Have you ever had your head shoved inside a toilet as the water rushes through your mouth and nose, cutting off your air supply?).

Right now, she was in her harsh taunting and pranking cycle.

The Uchiha paused before muttering quietly, "I've had worse."

Naruto knew what that meant right away, "Man, you should really learn how to stand up for yourself, Sasuke-teme!" The blonde frowned, following the dark haired boy as he slunk around a corner in the hallways and aware of the heavy stares his presence with Sasuke was attracting. "I mean, I know it's Sakura-chan and all... But you shouldn't let anyone step all over you. Seriously, now everyone is following her example by hurting you."

Sasuke resisted the rude snort that built up in his chest. _'Stand up for myself, and then what? It'll just make things worse.' _"I'm fine, Naruto-san, really."

Ever since Naruto had accidentally befriended Sasuke when the Uchiha gave him his lunch money to buy ramen when he forget his wallet (as you can imagine, everyone stayed away from the hysterical blonde as he threw his fit of not being able to get ramen), and the next day he found the loud boy waiting for him at his locker, and since then he never forgot to greet him in the morning. Although Sasuke found his persistent presence a bit irritating, the energetic boy grew on him fast. However, he was feeling very uncomfortable for the past few weeks since Naruto had this "genius plan" where he had the Uchiha change his appearance and join in with his circle of friends. Lately, he was able to slink away cleverly by changing the subject or disappearing when Naruto wasn't looking, and the Uzumaki usually forgot about it once he became furious at Sasuke's avoidance. It seems that he has been able to remember his original plans lately.

The popular Uzumaki sighed in defeat, knowing that he could never change Sasuke's mind once he made a decision. "Okay, but just think about it." He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. "No more bullyinggg."

The raven-haired boy nodded with an amused smile, humming absentmindedly. "M-hmmm."

Naruto opened his arms as if to hug someone, but to Sasuke it looked like he was trying to hold his large, imaginary belly like Santa Claus would. "LOTS of girls!"

"That's nice."

The whiskered-boy pouted when he saw Sasuke's dimming interest and response as his dark orbs flickered around cautiously. "Moi, you're no fun."

"And you're too fun," Sasuke drawled, halting in his tracks once he saw that he reached his locker, immediately reaching out to twist in his code.

Naruto furrowed his brows, crossing his arms and leaning on a metal locker as he waited for the boy. "That doesn't make any sense, you teme!"

"Doesn't need to, you get the idea," The Uchiha teased, tensing when he sensed something coming his way but stifling the sharp instincts his heritage gave him. Don't look suspicious, don't look suspicious, he chanted inside his head. He clicked the lock open, snapped the locker handle up and shut his mouth and nose tightly. Just when Naruto opened his mouth widely to retort, fuming, his jaw dropped when he saw his friend being smothered by green slime that shot out from his locker.

_KER-SPLAT!_

Silence reigned the hallways before everyone bursted into hysterical and contagious laughter, finding the sight of a frozen nerd covered in disgusting ooze just _hilarious. _Nobody was merciful; everyone was laughing except for a fuming Naruto.

"ALRIGHT, NOTHING TO SEE HERE!" Naruto snarled, defending his new friend as people snapped their eyes towards him in disbelief, wondering if he was being serious about protecting a nerd. When they saw he wasn't on the floor laughing or saying he was joking, some mumbled under their breaths lowly as the slithered out to see something else that would interest them. Despite his obvious anger, Naruto apparently wasn't seen as the intimidating type as people were still rooted to their spots, laughing it up with their friends.

Sasuke resisted the urge to sigh-and to gag-as he flicked the offending substance off of his right hand, the squishy materials flying onto the floor which wasn't that much cleaner than him. He smeared the goo off of a majority of his face, sighing as he wiped it off of his glasses lens. Judging by the way the substance built up in piles on the floor, walls and even the ceiling, his long hair was probably drenched in it. Gross.

He sighed, eying the trip-activated goo launcher (which he never really knew existed until this day) before carefully burying it in the bottom of his locker. Immediately, he went to pull out his backpack, glad that he brought an extra set of clothes just in case. He _always _kept some in his bag because, well, you never know if a certain pink-haired girl is going to smother your face into a garbage can.

Once Naruto stopped his fuming and most of the people had averted their attention, he rushed to Sasuke's side as the dark-haired boy rummaged through his stuff tentatively, not wanting any of the offending substance to smear on his clean yet worn book bag. "You alright, Sasuke?" The blonde asked, his aqua eyes shimmering in worry and guilt-Sasuke saw this every time he got pranked. The Uzumaki had, ever since he found out that one of his friends was hurting another, adopted the 'responsibility' of making sure Sasuke was never pranked. Sometimes it worked out in the end, although the blonde would end up at the end of Sakura's right hook and a victim of her sulking, other times he would end up figuring it out too late. _'Annoying, bumbling idiot,' _Sasuke grumbled inwardly. _'It's not you fault, and it never was. So stop giving me that look.'_

Sasuke sent another shy smile Naruto's way. "Yeah, I'm fine..."

Naruto, however, eyed the goo slopping in his dark ponytail. "We should probably wash that out-"

"Hello, pet."

Both of them whipped towards the source of the voice, Sasuke trembling a bit whilst Naruto clenched his fist in frustration. Emerald eyes glittered with a small sense of satisfaction when she spotted the Uchiha smothered in the substance she filled her goo-cannon with, her perfect grin malicious in this tense.

Sasuke sucked in a tiny, sharp breath. His dark eyes that portrayed fear were averted to the floor as he found his scruffy dress shoes suddenly interesting. "H-hello, Sakura-san..."

Said girl clicked her tongue in disapproval, pushing off of her spot on the wall next to his open locker. She sashayed her way over to him and asked calmly. "What's my name?"

The Uchiha bowed his head, as if ashamed. "Gomenasai, Sakura-chan."

Naruto glanced in between the two, from the boy's shaky and quiet replies to the girl's cool yet hardened tone. Feeling as if he should stand up when he heard people gather slightly again, he took a step towards Sakura. "Ano, Sakura-chan... I don't think-"

"Stay out of this, Naruto," She snarled, her pink hair almost bristling as her emerald eyes snapped to his now flinching form, the green in her eyes darkening with several emotions. When the blonde saw a certain emotion pass through her eyes for even a few seconds, he frowned thoughtfully, making a note to himself to talk to her later. He opened his mouth to say something, then caught the look she gave him and shut it.

"Naruto..." The boy looked over at the vulnerable looking boy. "Ano... T-this is my problem, therefore I should deal with this myself..."

"See?" Sakura said, strolling closer to the Uchiha who squirmed from her presence in discomfort, obviously not used to being in proximity to the opposite sex. "Even the nerd-boy agrees with me. So stay out of it."

The whiskered-boy frowned sadly, hating to see two of his closest friends destroying each other both physically and internally. Reluctantly, he stepped back a few feet just as Sakura was going to say something else when the warning bell rang.

_K-RRRNG!_

"Yare, yare," Sakura sighed disappointedly, pouting slightly as the students began to rush in the hallways. Sasuke couldn't help but be a little-just a _tiny _bit grateful for her presence since whenever she was around, people never jostled him in the crowd, pushing and pulling as if he were drowning in the sea during a horrible storm. "I hope you like my present?" She grinned, her white teeth glistening in the school lights.

"A-ano, h-hai," Sasuke nearly flinched. Great, now he sounded like the Hyuuga's cousin-what was her name? Hinata? Or was it Hanabi? This acting thing was getting to be a bit _too _natural. He instantly blamed Sakura; whenever she was around, he immediately put up this mask.

"Good..." The pinkette reached out with her hand but then stopped in her tracks. She always played with his hair when she was plotting something, or just being plain thoughtful. Days of this habit caused Sasuke to grow a little familiar with her gesture of her reaching out towards him. Obviously, she was a little upset that she couldn't play with his long hair, but then again it was her fault. "I'll be waiting for my Health homework, ne?" She sent him a wink, and he blinked. Her unpredictable mood swings and varied gestures always managed to surprise him.

"Um... Hai..."

"Alright," She sent another grin at him, but this time it was a little softer than the evil ones she usually sent him-a sign that her friendly phase was about to happen soon. "I'll be waiting for you," She mumbled again, this time a little bit quieter with a far-off look in her eyes. Sasuke blinked again, and when he opened his eyes, the hallways were thinning quickly and she was sauntering to their-his and her-class with a somber feel in her step.

The Uchiha had learned with his sharp eyes about how to infer emotions.

The serious and somewhat sad aura around her was definitely different.

He wasn't stupid; something big was about to happen.

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"And now, cigarettes are filled with nicotine, which is a very addictive substance-" Kurenai halted in her lecture about smoking and how it lead to lung cancer and other complications when the class door opened silently and Sasuke slipped in. "Nice of you to join us, Sasuke-san."

Snickers filled the room at the dark-haired boy's disheveled and ashamed appearance. "Ano," He began. "Sorry I'm late, I had to stop at the office-"

"It's all right," Kurenai waved him off, knowing he was a well-behaved and smart student who was always picked on, she always let him off the hook-which ironically made people want to hurt him more. "Just hurry and go to your seat. We're taking notes."

"Ah, hai!" He scampered off to his seat in the middle row when he spotted the outstretched leg, and inwardly he scowled. _'If you're trying to trip me, at least have the decency of _not _making it look so obvious. That's just insulting to me.' _Nonetheless, he acted as if he didn't see it and tripped, falling flat on the floor none-too-gently. Laughter erupted in the room, echoing around the 'poor' boy as he grit his teeth, not in pain but frustration, scanning his palms. _'Damn, I got a rug-burn on a hard floor. How does that happen?'_

"That's enough!" Kurenai boomed, and the class went silent. Her red eyes were livid both at the fact that her lecture was once again postponed and that someone just harmed an innocent boy. "Who tripped Sasuke-san?" No one dared to answer. Seeing that she was getting nowhere, the Health teacher turned to the boy who was still staring at his upturned hands. "Sasuke-san, who tripped you?"

Classmates stared at him, wondering if he would snitch. If he did, they get to see the beating of a nerd, which all of them found amusing. If he didn't, they got off scott-free and could continue harassing him; Win-win for them, lose-lose for the nerd.

Sasuke paused, still on his knee-caps. "I didn't see. I probably just tripped over nothing again."

Kurenai stared at him, obviously not believing his story but caved in anyway. "Well, can someone help Sasuke-san pick up his belongings while I get back to my lecture?"

No one moved, but the teacher continued in her talk. They all ignored Sasuke as he gathered his scattered belongings when his glasses fell off of his nose. Cursing inaudibly, he acted like a blind boy as he felt the ground when soft hands placed themselves on his. Glancing up, he saw emerald eyes, pink hair and a small smile. When he blinked, his glasses were back on, Sakura's finger pushing them back on their spot on the bridge of his nose.

"Hey," She whispered, gathering some of the papers that fell out of his binders. Behind them, Kurenai's droning voice was now moving onto other kinds of cancer, but Sakura just sent him a little smile. _'I wonder how many people you fooled with that smile,' _Sasuke snarked in his mind, but shook the thought out. "Ano, uh, Sakura-chan... Arigato."

Her smile widened, and Sasuke noted how it was filled with an emotion he was filled with, even if it was geniune. "Of course."

She was about to give him the papers when he muttered to her, "T-those are yours."

Sakura seemed a little taken aback as she frowned, but she nodded. "Oh, okay."

Sasuke sighed softly, thanking her quietly as they walked over to the desks they both shared. A silence set over the two for the rest of the period.

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"Sakura-chan!" Naruto hollered in the hallways, catching not only the pinkette's attention but many other passersby as well. The loud volume earned him a bonk on his head, which he yelped in pain from. "ITAI!"

"Shut up, you idiot," Sakura hissed. It was lunch, and she had been hoping to catch Sasuke, also known as 'her pet', when Naruto just stampeded through the school like no one's business. Raising her eyebrow and tapping her foot impatiently, she asked, "What do you want?"

She watched in slight awe as the ramen-loving boy suddenly adopt a sullen expression. "Can I talk to you?" He asked calmly, tugging at her sleeve.

The pinkette frowned thoughtfully, glancing back to see the Uchiha still shoving his belongings in his locker. She turned back to Naruto, "Okay, but you have five minutes."

The Haruno let her friend drag her out to the end of the hallway, which was an empty spot. Naruto scratched his cheek, thinking of a way to convey his thoughts when he sighed, "Why do you do it?"

Sakura frowned. "Do what?"

"Hurt him-hurt Sasuke!" Naruto stared her down, and for a rare moment Sakura let down all the walls she built up in school. "You're hurting him, really really badly, but I can also see it's hurting you, too."

"What do you mean, you idiot..." The way she said it didn't seem like a question, but more of an urge to let him explain further.

"Sakura..." He sighed again. "I can see it in your eyes whenever you walk away from him. You look hurt, upset even. I thought once that you would cry when you walked out of the room after you dumped your lunch on him."

They were silent for a moment as Naruto waited for Sakura to say something, anything. Just when he thought he would have to ask again, her shoulders slumped down, "I don't get him... He just takes everything I throw at him, and he doesn't even snap at me! He doesn't even look angry or agitated or upset, and he reminds me of- of-" She cut off her sentence, biting her lip, officially ending her talk. The blonde opened his mouth again when she whispered in a small voice, "I feel disgusting after I hurt him..."

The pinkette expected Naruto to yell at her or even send her a dirty look but was surprised when she felt a warm hand on her shoulder. "Sakura... you should apologize to him. He'll understand if you just tell him, and I'm sure that you can even be friends."

Sakura sent Naruto a hopeful look, the harsh look in her emerald eyes gone as if they never existed in such innocent orbs. "You think so?"

The blonde sent her a toothy grin and thumbs up. "I know so!"

The Haruno hesitated then smiled back at him tentatively. "Okay... I'll talk to him tomorrow... okay?"

"S-sakura-chan?" The two popular kids looked at the slightly trembling boy in front of them. "A-ano... you wanted to see me?"

Naruto and Sakura shared a look, emerald clashing with aqua blue, and the pinkette nodded. "Will you sit with me at lunch?"

They heard him audibly gulp. "H-hai..."

"Well, I gotta go to class," Naruto grinned, feeling much better than before. "Good luck, Sakura-chan!" And he dashed off.

Sakura walked forward, Sasuke following her faithfully like a lost puppy. The Uchiha noticed the thoughtful, serious look on her face and was about to disregard it when he heard her call out, "Sasuke?"

"Um.. hai?" He said quietly.

He watched her pause, freeze in her steps for a second, then turn back to him with a small smile on her face. "Uh, it's nothing. C'mon, let's go to lunch."

"H-hai..." _'I guess her friendly phase has just started...'_

.

Sasuke groaned once he got home, seriously craving the feel of his soft bed under his tense muscles and a very, very long nap. He threw his backpack to the side as soon as he took five steps in his house, the object landing somewhere a few feet away from his as he quickly slipped his dress shoes off, noting the sore feel of his heels. Unbuttoning the dress shirt a few from the top, placing his glasses on the counter and taking out the scrunchy whilst ruffling his hair, he decided to check his voicemails before sauntering off to bed. He pressed the play button, hearing the mechanical voice say, _'You have 3 new messages.' _Feeling thirsty, he made his way over to his fridge and threw it open.

_'Beep. Heyy, Sasuke-kun! It's Karin!' _Sasuke froze then reached for a V8 nonchalantly. _'I know it's been a long time since we've seen each other and all, but I just wanted to call to say hi! I was wondering if you had spring break soon because I'm totally free and umm... was hoping we could spend some time together and talk this out... I'll be waiting for your call! Beep.' _Sasuke sighed, slamming the metal can on his kitchen counter. He definitely wasn't calling her.

_'Beep. SASUKE-TEME!' _The Uchiha flinched and nearly choked on his drink at the loud, familiar voice. _'Do you know what was for math homework? I blanked out in the middle of class... Don't be a teme and call me! ...NO HOMO. Beep.' _Blanked out? More like the blonde kept ranting to the Uchiha and just forgot.

_'Beep. ...Sasuke? Umm... This is your aunt, Uchiha Misao. I couldn't get you on your house phone, but this is a rather urgent message. Call me as soon as possible. Beep.' _Glancing at the machine, he saw that the call was made eleven minutes ago, and picked up the phone and dialed the number. It rang only once when her voice came up.

_"Sasuke. Thank goodness," _He heard her sigh in the phone.

"What is it that you need, Aunt Misao?" He asked patiently, leaning on the counter.

_"It's... it's your cousin, Aya."_

"What happened?" He inquired sharply, feeling protective of the young girl who always clung to him in the past.

_"Well, it's just-" _The Uchiha boy could faintly hear crying in the background. _"Could you let her live with you for a while? I'll explain when we arrive at your house."_

"..."

_"Sasuke?"_

"..Come over tomorrow in the morning."

_"Don't you have school?"_

"Family comes first, doesn't it? One day of missing school won't hurt."

He could hear her appreciation in the silence over her phone._ "Sasuke... thank you."_

Sasuke heard her hung up, and didn't put down the phone until he heard the beeping of the service line a minute later. He sighed, running a hand through his spiky hair.

What an interesting day.

.

**Ooo, I had fun typing this. I almost didn't update it though because my mom's been nagging about her wanting to use the computer. This is why I can't update often on this laptop without a desktop. DX**

**Making this note short so she can use it; hope you enjoyed it!**

**Hopefully I can update soon.**

**Read and Review please!**

**I'll edit this later, too:)**

**~CiiCiinREX.**


	2. ii: The Butterfly Effect

_Heyyy, guys! Decided to update since the desktop hasn't been bought yet, nor have my documents been transferred onto something... -_-._

_I noticed that some of you just turned on Sakura and called her a... bitch and what not, but guys, don't judge her. To be honest, I'm basing her actions and thoughts on how I used to act. Yeah, um.. I used to act like her when I was like... seven to nine years old. I feel REALLY bad about it now, which is how Sakura is feeling. So don't judge her just on one chapter. I swear, the reviews I get where you cuss them out, haha._

_Glad most of you like it!_

_I'm still waiting for my chapters of my other stories to be transferredddd._

_And I noticed that lately, I've been splurging on writing. I guess I wanna make up for the time I wasn't able to update xD_

**Summary: **Uchiha Sasuke had always been labelled as the nerd. Bullied, tortured, taunted daily, because he wanted that life. But when his little cousin needs his help, he sheds his facade and fights back, wanting to become her role-model. Just when he thought he was content, his bully and old life shatter that peace.

**Inspired by: Welcome to the Real World! By boredyetinspiredartist. One of my fav stories. ever. X3. even if Sasuke is tortured, which i like in this instance. :)**

**Dedicated to: **Japan. Pray for Japan. They need our help now more than ever. And xena-chan because of our awesome convos:)

**Disclaimer: I never owned Naruto now, what makes you think I'll own it now? Seriously.**

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_Someone to Look UP to_

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_Chapter 2:_

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The next morning, Sasuke woke up and showered, but instead of throwing on his ridiculous nerd outfit, he slipped on a black high-collared tee and shorts. After all, he didn't want to scare his Aunt Misao, or worse, Aya herself. He had been flipping pancakes, finished about five, when the doorbell rang. The Uchiha used his spatula to poke under the last cooked pancake and placed it on the large plate with the others when the bell rang again. "I'm coming," He said, not needing to raise his voice as it was deep enough to resound in the house. Sauntering to the door, he softly opened the entrance and spotted the relieved face of Misao and Aya who was rubbing her eyes with one hand and holding her mother's in the other.

Staring at them both for a moment before stepping aside to let them in, he noted that though their physical appearance hadn't changed much, their faces were the things he almost didn't recognize. Uchiha Misao had long, silky dark hair just like most of the women of his family but held deep blue eyes. He noted the slight bags that gathered underneath her eyes and the glimmer of exhaustion, and she seemed much wiser in the angle he saw her in rather than how she looked like a year ago. She sent him an automatic smile, a little fake but at the same time polite and geniune. He nodded in response to her gesture.

His dark eyes travelling down, he saw his sniffling cousin whose onyx eyes were bloodshot and it was fairly obvious she had been crying in the car on the way to his house. The last time he was her was when she was merely five, and she definitely stuck onto him like glue; most of the memories he had when his family came over little Aya was standing straight by his side, giggling and smiling brightly. Her face had been so babyish back then, but it was surprising to Sasuke that she had already adopted the narrow structure of her jawline, obviously from Misao's genes. She grew a bit as well, but she wasn't even as tall as the middle of his chest. To Sasuke, it seemed as if she never cut her hair the two years he hadn't seen her, the long black hair-with blue highlights, just like he had-reaching all the way down to her petite waist.

Aya was usually so bubbly and nothing let her down.

Solemnly, he thought that this news would greatly affect him as well.

"I made some pancakes," Sasuke said as he reached inside his cabinet, pulling out three plates and used a fork to give each plate two pancakes, his back facing his family members.

"Oh, thank you," Misao smiled, a slight wrinkle in her face when she was either amused or tired. The older woman turned to her daughter, "Aya, what do you say?"

The little girl slowly lifted her head, and Sasuke could see the wavering mask she had in her eyes and watched, surprised, as it suddenly broke. Misao jolted, as if shocked as the sudden outburst, before she sighed and hugged the girl, patting her on the back comfortingly. "It's alright, Aya-chan," Misao smiled, though this time the wrinkle in her eyes made it obvious to Sasuke she was tired. "Let it all out."

Aya bawled and clawed at her mother chest, Sasuke frowning as her wails reminded him of painful memories he had always hoped to store away-far away-from his present, sane mind. He sat down next to his aunt and pat the little girl on the head, noticing how she hicked and tried to keep more tears from leaking out. "It's okay to cry," He told her, his words comforting even if his tone was emotionless. "There's nothing wrong with crying." Once those words fell out of his lips, Aya just seemed to resign and cry her heart out. The two older Uchiha listened as her wails turned to sharp breaths, and how her trembling turned to rhythmical, sleeping breaths. Once the girl fell asleep, Misao kissed her on the forehead and walked over to a nearby couch in the living room, gently placing her on the soft surface.

Sasuke let her have a moment of privacy before his aunt came back. He handed her a plate of pancakes, which she took along with the bottle of syrup he gave her. "Thank you," She said gratefully, pouring a generous amount of sugary thickness all over her pancakes. "I'm guessing you want to know why I'm asking you to take Aya-chan in." She held the bottle of syrup to him.

"No thanks," He said, taking the bottle and placing it on the side. "I don't like sweets."

Misao blinked, as if it were new information to her. "Then... if I may ask, why do you keep it in your house?"

"I may not like sweets," He simply said, taking a bite out of his plain pancake. "But my guests might."

They were emerged in temporary silence as they ate before Sasuke asked after swallowing another bite, "What happened that made Aya so..." He fumbled with the word for a moment. "Vulnerable?"

Misao put down her fork, the clinking of metal and plate echoing slightly. Seriously, she put her hands in front of her and bit her lip. "About a week ago.. my husband and sister died in a car accident."

Sasuke stared and stared and stared, before he noticed his rude eyes once the fork in his hands dangled and hit the plate. Clearing his throat, a dark veil shrouded over his already mysterious eyes. "I... see." He would say sorry, he really would, but he knew most people in his family did not take pity well, and neither did he for that matter. "Aya must be taking it hard."

"She hasn't stopped crying since she heard," Misao said sullenly, sadly, as her eyes blurred at the thought of her deceased lover and sibling. "Aya-chan... she's very smart. I thought that when I told her, she wouldn't understand until she was older, but the moment I told her that her daddy had gone to heaven, she just went through a trace before she just... lost it." Sasuke observed as his aunt sighed, muttering quietly in the blearing silence of the house. "She was always a daddy's little girl... Always asking when he was coming home, if he could take her to work, if he could see her newest drawings - and she adored my sister, seeing her as a way to spoil herself. And now, they're gone..." The Uchiha boy politely turned away when he saw a tear trail down her cheek.

He stood up, walking over softly to the couch where Aya slumbered. Peering down at her-stained cheeks, frown and all-he felt his chest tighten at her vulnerability.

Misao was at his side, watching over her daughter protectively as she slept. "She's been like this for a week, and I was so frustrated that I couldn't comfort her when I couldn't even assure myself." She averted her gaze to Sasuke whose eyes where now attentively staring at her. "Then, I suddenly remembered the times she would act like a brat and demand for her cousin, 'KayKay-chan'," He winced at the nickname, making her chuckle. "And I thought she would feel better if she were around someone who understands what she's going through right now..."

Sasuke's eyes flashed-

_("Mom, dad, wake up!")_

_(Red splashed all over the concrete-)_

_(Soulless eyes stare back at him-)_

_(Blue lips parted, trying to form words-)_

_(He grasped them tightly,_

_and felt life drain from their bodies, and-)_

_("DON'T LEAVE ME!")_

-and he sucked in a deep breath, catching Misao's pleading stare. After a few moments, he nodded, swallowing as he was still reeling from the sudden and strong memory, "Hn."

Misao smiled gratefully, not making any physical gesture to thank him as her eyes conveyed them all, "I'm glad my sister gave birth to a kind child."

Sasuke felt the corners of his lips lift, his eyes beginning to burn, when all sensations disappeared as he shut his emotions down, back to his empty shell of a body.

"I am, too," He muttered lowly, and he wasn't sure if his aunt heard it or not.

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Sakura felt doubt and shame grip her as she waited at the locker she had broken into several times, eyes flickering left and right for a certain someone. She glanced at the clock on the wall, frowning when she saw that there was only seven minutes until the warning bell rang. "Where is he?" She whispered under her breath, resisting the urge to bite her nails nervously.

The pinkette had told Naruto that she would talk to Sasuke today, and she had intended to keep her promise, going as far as to arrive at school at seven thirty in the morning just to see the guy. Surprisingly, he wasn't there and now she was having a panic attack, wondering if he was coming at all. She really hoped he would come because this may be the only day she had enough courage to face him and spill everything. This may be her only chance to tell the truth.

But... where is he?

"Sakura-chan!" The Haruno snapped her head up hopefully at the familiar honorific, though her eyes dimmed when she saw it was only Naruto running up to her, bright - physically anyways - as always. When he stopped in his dash, he glanced around, frowning, "Hey, where's Sasuke-teme?" His aqua eyes peered down at her. "Aren't you supposed to talk to him?"

Her frown deepened, and her distress soon become noticeable, "I was going to, but he's not here yet." She tried to peer over the crowds of people, but still nothing promising showed up.

Naruto scratched his head, very confused. As far as he knew, Sasuke had set a high standard for himself in keeping a perfect attendance, which was why the blonde arrived earlier to school than what he was used to - he wanted to keep his new friend company (well, not new since they're known each other for about three months or so, but any-who). He even came when he was dead tired and lethally sick - Naruto kept his distance to his dark-haired friend on those days, maybe just a few feet more. But, that truly was strange. It wasn't like Sasuke to skip school, even if it were a small problem. Something important must have come up or... he got jumped...

"Poor Sasuke," He cried, an exaggerated waterfall of tears spilling out of his eyes. "He might've got jumped! And he's so vulnerable!"

Oh, if Naruto knew who he was really talking about, he wouldn't think so.

Sakura growled, pinching the yelping blonde on the skin of his elbow, not in the mood to be so violent and punch him. "Stop overreacting! He's strong enough to protect himself!" Although she told him that, she couldn't help but worry for the boy as well. No - stop doubting yourself Sakura! It'll only bring bad luck. She chanted this inside her head, before sighing out in disappointment that shined clear in her wavering emerald eyes. After pinching the blonde, she felt the instant need of just taking a nap somewhere, like outside in the school gardens or even in the classroom; sometimes she couldn't help the reactions people squeezed out of her.

Naruto frowned, fingering the cell phone in his pocket. Seeing his friend's slight anguish, he pulled the object out and smiled comfortingly at her. "Don't worry! Maybe something came up and he couldn't come to school. I can call him since I have his home phone number." He pushed the unsurprisingly orange, flip phone to her face, as if to prove to her everything would be okay and that she could always try again later.

Hope filled the pinkette again, and the blonde saw this as she picked up her chin to look at him. "Really?" She smiled in relief, wishing to talk to him as soon as possible and glancing at the time on the phone once Naruto placed the cell phone in her hand. "Only five minutes until the warning bell, huh? Do you think we could call him right now?"

Naruto smiled, shrugging. "Sure! The faster you apologize, the faster things will be easier for us all." He took hold of his own phone as he scrolled through his contact, but he furrowed his brows in confusion when the cell buzzed, blinking, as someone was calling him.

Ruefully, he ignored Sakura's inquisitive gaze as he pressed the 'answer' button, picking the phone up to his ear. "Uh, hello?"

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"Naruto-san?" Sasuke kept his voice quiet, not wanting to seem out of character in his 'geek-mode' or to disturb the slumbering girl on his couch. Clearing his throat slightly as he shifted the phone in his shoulder, he kept washing the dishes as his aunt sat in the couch next to her daughter, seemingly reflecting what had happened so far with her family. "Ano... it's Sasuke."

_"Heyyyy, Sasuke-teme!" _The Uchiha winced at the loud volume his friend created and resisted the urge to growl out insults. _"Heheh, what a coincidence! I was just about to call you!"_

"...About what?" He asked quietly, eying the stirring Aya who furrowed her brows painfully. Nightmare, or bad memory, he concluded.

_"Well, uh-" _He could hear Naruto stage-whisper something incoherently to someone next to him, and Sasuke immediately stiffened, thinking that his blonde, whiskered friend could be betraying him in some way. He couldn't make out the words, though, since the loud sounds emitting from what the Uchiha thought were in the hallways of the school made Naruto's words almost inaudible. _"Well, I was wondering why you weren't at school?" _Oh. _"Cuz', um, you're usually early to school ALL THE TIME, man! And was getting really worried, like, what if you got jumped and were left for dead? It seemed so not-you for you to ditch school, too!" _

"Oh, um..." Sasuke turned off the water, placing the clean, dried dishes in their correct cabinet and strolling over to Aya's side. He sat down slowly on the couch as Aya thrashed a bit more violently this time, silently whimpering in the grasp of her nightmare. Sasuke felt a strain on his heartstrings and pat her head, and her eyelids fluttered open, watery blue orbs that she had definitely attained from Misao peered up at him, a chocked expression on her face. "Something... came up."

_"Like what?" _Naruto definitely couldn't keep the curiosity and concern out of his voice.

"...Family problems," He muttered softly, not wanting Aya to hear what he said, knowing her she would probably think he was calling her troublesome or a problem. "Look, can we talk later? I'm probably going to have my hands full for a while..."

Just as he uttered those words, Aya broke out into large sobs and hugged Sasuke around the waist, her tears soaking his T-shirt as he sat, stunned and not knowing what to do. Naruto, panicked, obviously not expecting to hear a girl's crying over the phone. _"Sasuke, what-"_

"I'll call you later," Sasuke hung up before Naruto could reply and hoped that the blonde wouldn't think anything unusual of it. Placing the phone on the counter, he awkwardly pat the girl on the head, bringing her closer, which made her collapse all of her tiny weight onto him. His aunt Misao watched him with careful eyes, and he wanted to hiss at her to come over to him so that he wouldn't be the victim of being glomped and cried on - even if he cared about Aya, he still didn't like physical contact. But then, he caught something.

Misao was sitting silently, observing expectantly and the Sasuke instantly realized it.

She was testing him. Seeing if he could really handle a little girl when she was emotionally at her worst.

He would have to sacrifice many things if he wanted to help Aya, and one of them was privacy.

So, he wrapped his arms around her tiny seven-year old body, hushing her quietly, as if grumbling. "It'll be okay," He said, although feeling fairly unsure. Aya nodded into him, her sobs gently dying down as his aunt sent him an approving smile.

As Aya began to sleep again out of exhaustion, he came to a conclusion.

He knew what it felt like to have the closest people around him ripped out of his hands and dragged to their deaths as he could only watch in despair. He could relate to how Aya was feeling right now; empty, torn, anguished, angry. He could predict just how she would change because of the young age her father and half-aunt's death, and it didn't seem pretty at all - it seemed so very similar to how he had gone through it. But... he didn't want her to go through what he did. Alone, trying to pick up shattered pieces of who he was without trying to cut himself in vainly, and his personality bending and breaking until he was instinctively blocking people out of his heart.

He, Uchiha Sasuke, would stand up, strong and proud, so that Aya would see him as a role model and have her be happy and giggly like she had been the last time he saw her.

After all, he would sacrifice anything to protect his family.

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"Well?" Sakura asked, holding in her breath in anticipation. "Can I talk to him?"

Naruto made a whirling gesture with his hand and head, before muttering something else in the phone as the pinkette impatiently waited. Suddenly, the blonde paused and said, "Sasuke, what -" Naruto pulled away from the phone, and from the speaker the Haruno could hear a distinct sound that agitated her to no end.

The sound of a little girl crying.

She only heard about a second of it, but she couldn't deny the familiar noise that used to emit from her own throat. Memories built up on each other and flashed before her eyes-

_(She could hear them chanting, "Forehead-girl, forehead-girl" with their mocking voices-)_

_(One girl walked up to her crumpled form and kicked her in the mouth, and others joined in, their laughter demonic-)_

_("Ugly, billboard brow, pinky, freak, forehead-girl,"; All those words were taboo-)_

_(And they never stopped-)_

_("Please... no... **STOP PLEASE!**")_

_(No matter how loud she cried.)_

"Sakura-chan?" She snapped back to reality when a hand shook in front of her eyes, her sight refocusing to catch Naruto's concerned gaze. "You okay?"

Despite the demons chanting in the back of her mind, she smiled - albeit with a sadness laced into the stitches - and reassured him, "Yeah, I'm fine! I can always talk to him tomorrow, right?"

The Uzumaki hesitated, and the pinkette instantly knew that he wasn't talking about that. Nevertheless, Naruto nodded and explained, "Yeah, that's true. Anyway, Sasuke is having some family issues right now, so I couldn't tell him you wanted to talk to him."

A little disheartened, Sakura hung her head thoughtfully. "Oh."

Naruto immediately jumped in, shaking his hands back and forth comically with a nervous expression. "He-y, don't worry! You can always pull him out anywhere, he follows you like a dog anyway!" Oh. "Well, an abused, frightened dog, but that doesn't matter. Even if he does get defensive, you can always bring out the big guns like you always do!" Naruto, you idiot.

Sakura's left eye twitched as she felt ten times worse than before. "...Gee, thanks," She said in a tone laced with heavy sarcasm and venom.

The blonde sent her his million dollar smile. "You can always count on me!"

The Haruno had to resist the urge of banging her head into the locker in front of her due to her friend's idiocy.

_B-RRNG! _The two popular kids glanced up at the intercom that crackled, the students around them shuffling around after the warning bell sounded. _"Good morning, students," _Tsunade's - the principal - voice rang out throughout the school, though she had a bit of a slur, which indicated her early drinking habits... during school. _"At this time you should be heading to your seventh period class. Remember, respect the rules and your teachers, and furthermore - oh, you know what, screw it. You all know the drill. SHIZUNE!" _The busty blonde woman hung up on the intercom, and Naruto and Sakura sweatdropped. She was probably barking at Shizune to get her another glass of sake.

"I'll call Sasuke after school and tell him, okay?" Naruto shouted across the hallway whilst he waved a goodbye, running to his locker to gather his stuff to rush to his first class of the day.

Sakura didn't yell a response, but nodded even though she knew the blonde wouldn't see her as he sharply turned on his heel, disappearing behind a corner. "Right..."

Glancing around, she saw the hallways thinning and gathered her supplies, slamming her locker shut as she ran to her class, half-hoping she'll make it on time, the other half not caring as much anymore.

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Aya sat near Sasuke on the couch, rubbing her bloodshot eyes as she sniffled. Her mother peered at them closely, smiling with a hint of solemness laced into it.

Misao crouched down to her dark-haired daughter, rubbing her on the shoulder. "Aya-chan?" She said softly, meeting her eye level.

Aya, noticing the seriousness in her mother's eyes, stopped touching her face in order to get a better look at her only immediate family member. "Okaa-san?" Her voice was thick with tears still, but Sasuke noted that she was resisting the urge to sniffle.

"I have to go away for a while," Misao murmured to her Aya, whose already glassy eyes were tearing up again. Sasuke watched with cautious eyes as his cousin's shoulders shook up and down irregularly, but she never burst into tears or protests when a long string of silence followed. When Aya didn't respond, Misao continued, stroking her daughter's hair, "I have some work to take care of, and there have been some conflicts within the whole clan that I need to clear up, okay? For now, you'll stay with Sasuke. Don't be so sad; he understands what you're going through right now! Any question that I wasn't able to answer he'll definitely have the answers for. ..okay?"

Aya paused, then nodded her head slowly. "Uh-huh."

Misao smiled sadly, patting her daughter on the head. "I'll be back before you know it, and we'll live near Sasuke if you want. For now... I'll be gone. But don't worry!"

Sasuke looked away at those last, empty words. Even his aunt knew that that sentence held no meaning whatsoever within it.

"I have to go now," Misao whispered, kissing Aya one last time on the forehead and pulling out of the embrace.

The older Uchiha bowed deeply to Sasuke in gratitude, "Please take care of my daughter." Sasuke nodded, and he watched with a guarded expression as his aunt hesitantly walked out the door and shut it behind her. He turned to the hiccuping Aya and sighed, running his hand through his hair. "Well, looks like we're living together," Sasuke said, even if he was being uncharacteristically talkative today. "Can't be helped though, huh?"

"Gomenasai," Aya apologized, taking his words in the wrong way.

Sasuke gave her a look. "Don't apologize, what's done is done." He stood up and walked towards the kitchen, and his small cousin peered at him curiously, observing as he threw out some pots and pans. "You hungry?" He asked, flicking on the stove once he placed a big pot filled with water on top of it.

"Umm... yeah," Aya jumped off the couch, catching herself weakly as the earlier solemness was replaced by excitement in spending time with her cousin she hadn't seen in years. "What are we going to have?" Her vocabulary and grammar skills were polished even if she were seven; a trait that was either passed down through the Uchiha blood or was given to them through the expectations of the parents.

Sasuke smirked, knowing she would jump for joy at her favorite dish being cooked. "Four cheese ravioli."

"With ma-ri-na-ra sauce?" She pronounced slowly - as she was only human and guessing was the second best thing - perking up.

"Whatever you want," He responded comfortingly, crouching down to hand her a wooden spoon. "Wanna help?"

Through her bloodshot eyes, Aya grinned. "Okay!"

Sasuke almost smiled. His goal of making her momentarily forgetting what happened days before was a success. Even if it was temporary, her happiness was still worth it.

.

_Now that I think about it, this fic is more in the FAMILY category than the DRAMA, but then again, there is some SasuSaku and friendship things as well, and it isn't revolving just around family issues, so yeah._

_It's a little shorter than the chapter before, but I found that I wrote all I needed in this chapter, and I didn't want to add too much fillers in fear it would bore you guys and stuff. And I wanted to update it as soon as possible :P_

_I'm glad I at least finished this chapter. AND ON MY NEW COMPUTER, SQUEEEE~ It's so bigg! and clear! LIKE HD!_

_Thanks to our tax refund, we were able to get it. and soon my story chapters will be transferred. Can't wait:)_

_NEXT CHAPTER: Sasuke returns back to school! How will Aya react to his get up? Will Sasuke show his true self? Will Sakura confess to Sasuke why she really was hurting him? Will there be romance (ohoho;D) or family bonding (awww)? TILL NEXT TIME! _

_PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!_

_They motivate me to write more:)_

_Till next time!_

_Love,_

_~CiiCiinREX._


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